I. JAMES NICOLSON, writer and burgess of Edinburgh, was clerk to the Collectorie of Thirds, and died about 1580, leaving two sons,

John, his heir

James (see No. X)

II. JOHN NICOLSON, advocate and commissary of Edinburgh, succeeded his father as clerk to the Collectorie of Thirds. He acquired the lands of Lasswade by Charter, from John Sinclair, of Dryden, dated 21st May, 1591, to himself and Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Edward Henderson, his spouse. He had issue,

John, his heir

Thomas, of Cockburnspath, advocate 1594, and Commissary of Aberdeen, father of Sir James, of Cockbunrspath, and Sir Thomas, Knight and Kings Advocate, who died 15th December, 1656, leaving issue, a son Thomas, who died in 1676, without male issue

Jame

III. JOHN NICOLSON, of Lasswade, served heir to his father 5th March, 1614, created a Baronet of Nova Scotia, 2nd July, 1629, married Magdalen, eldest daughter of David Preston, of Craigmillar, and had issue,

John, his heir

Robert, commissary of Edinburgh, father of Thomas

Thomas, died before 1668

IV. JOHN NICOLSON, of Polton, predeceased his father, leaving issue,

V. SIR JOHN NICOLSON, 2nd Baronet of Lasswade, served heir to his grandfather, 5th April, 1676, married Elizabeth, second daughter of Sir William Dick, of Braid, and had issue,

John, his heir

William (see No. VIII)

VI. SIR JOHN NICOLSON, 3rd Baronet, died about 1681

VII. SIR WILLIAM NICOLSON, 4th Baronet, served heir to his brother 21st September, 1681, married Elizabeth, daughter of John Trotter, of Mortonhall, and had issue,

Thomas, his heir

James (see No. IX)

VIII. SIR THOMAS NICOLSON, 5th Baronet, was served heir to his kinsman, Sir James Nicolson, of Cockburnspath, 30th April, 1690. He was succeeded by his brother,

IX. SIR JAMES NICOLSON, 6th Baronet, served heir to his mother, 1727, and died without issue, May 1743. The title remained dormant till 1826, when it was assumed by Arthur Nicolson, of Lochend, the descendant of

X. JAMES NICOLSON, the second son of James Nicolson, No. I. He received a grant of a pension of £60 per annum on 6th February, 1571, from Robert, Bishop of Caithness, payable from the Abbey of St Andrews, “becaus he hes bene twyis schorne of the stane, and is continewallie vexit with that infirmitie.” He was a prominent man in the Church of Scotland soon after the Reformation, and was minister of Cortachy in 1580, and Meigle in 1583. He was selected by the General Assembly to sit in conference regarding stipends in 1592, 1596, 1606, and 1607, was appointed Bishop of Dunkeld in 1606, and died 17th August, 1607, when Gavin, Bishop of Galloway, was appointed to fill his place. He married Jane, daughter of Gilbert Ramsay of Banff, and had issue,

James (see No. XI)

Margaret

Bessie

XI. JAMES NICOLSON, Advocate and Commissary of Brechin 30th March, 1634, married Egidia, daughter of David Tully of Kinmonth, and had issue,

XII. JAMES NICOLSON of Bullister, graduated A.M. at St Andrews University, on 16th June, 1652, and became schoolmaster of Dysart, at the Restoration in 1660. He was presented in 1662 to the Parish of Tingwall, and died before 1675, having married Anne, daughter of Arthur Grassmuller, of Altnabreck, and had issue,

Arthur, his heir

John (see No. SVI)

Grizel, married 1696, Robert Bruce of Chalester

XIII. ARTHUR NICOLSON of Bullister and Lochend, was a merchant in Lerwick, and purchased a large amount of landed property, including the Island of Papa Stour, which he acquired from John Scott of Scottshall, on 16th May, 1716. He died in 1736, having married (first) Janet, daughter of William Dick of Wormadail, and had issue,

William, his heir

Magnus, married Mary Stove

James

Janet, married Robert Scott of Scottshall

Anna, married 1722, Laurence Bruce of Braewick

Grizel, married Andrew Ross of Sound

Barbara, married Robert Scollay, shipmaster, and had issue, Robert, baptised 11th May, 1732

Elizabeth

He married (second) Margaret, daughter of William Henderson of Gardie, and had issue,

Katherine, married Andrew Dick of Wormadail

Jane, married William Henderson of Gloup

Margaret, married William Irvine, comptroller of the customs, Lerwick, and had issue, Catherine, baptised 1st March, 1734

After his death his widow married Henry Rose, and had issue, Robert; Ann, married T Dend; and Jean, married James Henderson

XIV. WILLIAM NICOLSON of Lochend, was served heir to his father, on 4th May, 1742, and died 1758. He married (first) 14th November, 1751, Barbara, daughter of Magnus Henderson of Gardie, and had issue,

Elizabeth, (twin), born 19th March, 1770, died 4th December, 1849, married Mary, 1791, Rev. David Thomson, minister of Walls, 1787, translated to Dunrossness, 1828 baptised 12th August, 1759, died 5th October, 1841, and had issue, John in Royal Navy, and two daughters

Gideon, Colonel, born 21st December, 1773, married and had issue, William, Captain in Cape Mounted Rifles, Robert and Julia

Sophia, born 5th April, 1775

Margaret, married 15th November, 1781, Captain William Gray, and had issue, Margaret, who married Gideon Henderson, merchant, Papa Stour, and others

XVIII. ARTHUR NICOLSON of Lochend, baptised 21st September, 1757, died in 1819, having married (first) 5th September, 1784, Janet, daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Bolt of Cruister, who died 19th October, 1789, and had issue,

Barbara, married 14th December, 1801, John Scott, fiar of Melby

Margaret, baptised 23rd September, 1787

Arthur, died at Wells, Bristol, June, 1790

He married (second) 14th August, 1791, Mary, daughter of Alexander Innes, commissary clerk of Aberdeen, and had issue,

Arthur, his heir

XIX. ARTHUR NICOLSON of Lochend, was served heir, on 22nd August, 1823, before the Sheriff-Substitute of Orkney and Zetland at Lerwick, to his “remote cousin,” Sir James Nicolson of that Ilk and Lasswade, Bart. On this service he obtained from the Earl of Kianoull, then Lyon King or Arms, a grant of the arms of the family as being heir male in general. He died on 2nd January, 1863, having married at Old Aberdeen, on 27th April, 1821, Eliza Jane, eldest daughter of the Rev. William Jack, D.D., sometime minister of the parish of Northmaven, and afterwards Principal of King’s College and Aberdeen University. She died, 26th March, 1891. He had issue a son Arthur, who died young. He was, therefore, succeeded by his cousin Arthur Bolt, son of

XX. JAMES NICOLSON of Aith, the third son of Arthur Nicolson, of Lochend (XVII). He was a Captain in the Royal Navy, was born 19th March, 1770, and died in 1823. He married in 1810, Katherine Ann, daughter of Major Thomas Bennett, and had issue,

Arthur, his heir

Maxwell

Robert

James Ross, born 2nd May, 1814

Alexander

Thomas

Anne Jane, married in 1829, the Rev. James Barclay, minister of Mid and South Yell. She died, 6th March, 1892, aged 80, leaving issue a son James, Inspector of Poor, &c., for Yell

XXI. SIR ARTHUR BOLT NICOLSON, eighth Baronet, was born 6th March, 1811. He was long resident in Australia, having held a commission in the 4th King’s Own Royal Regiment, when that corps served in New South Wales, in the year 1831. A few years later he sold his commission and returned to England. In 1853, he went out to Victoria, where he acted for a time as commissioner of goldfields. He died 14th July, 1879. In 1839, he married Margaret, third daughter of the Rev. George Bisset, minister of Udny, who died in 1869. They had issue,

Arthur, his heir

Anna Jane Oceana

Katherine McArthur

Mary Isabella

XXII. SIR ARTHUR THOMAS BENNET ROBERT NICOLSON, ninth Baronet of that Ilk and Lasswade, of Lochend, in Shetland, and of Lyndhurst Esplanade, St Kilda, Melbourne, was born in 1842, and was educated at Melbourne College. He is a Justice of the Peace for the Colony of Victoria, also for the County of Zetland, and was a commissioner for the Centennial International Exhibition, held at Melbourne in 1888. He married on 14th July, 1881, Annie, daughter of John Rutherford of Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, and had issue,